10 Tips to start and run your side business

You’ve decided that you’re ready to start your own business, but you’re not quite sure where to start. Entrepreneurship can seem very overwhelming with so many things to consider.

Instead of going into panic mode, use these tips to help you get your start-up started!

1. Be Clear on Your Plan

Clarity will get you far in your business. Be sure to have a plan in place to ensure your success. How will your business operate? How will you make an income? What kind of clients will you work with? These are all decisions you should make in the early planning stages of your business.

2. Set Goals

Once you have a plan in place, you’ve got to measure your success. Set up some goals that you’d like to accomplish, it’ll not only help you understand if you’re heading in the right direction but also gives you something to strive for!

3. Market Yourself

When running the day to day operations, expanding your business through marketing can fall to the side. If you want growth, you must get your business out there. Create a marketing strategy and set funds aside to promote. What ways will you advertise? What social media channels will you be visible? Who will create your promotions? When creating a strategy, consider all of these questions.

4. Keep Track of Your Tasks

Having some sort of daily planner is going to work wonders for you! In the mix of clients calls, client work and managing the business itself, you will need something to keep your tasks in order. Invest in a planner or calendar that has all your to-dos in front of you.

5. Manage Your Finances

Money is a big issue for a business. It determines your success, it’s needed to get started, and it might be the reason you want to get started! As a business owner, you need to be able to keep track of expenses going in and out of your business. Tools like Quickbooks make it easy for small businesses to do so. An accountant is also a smart investment for anyone!

6. Connect with other Entrepreneurs

If you’re a solo entrepreneur, you might be spending a lot of time alone in front of a computer. Surrounding yourself with other like-minded people has multiple benefits. You have the opportunity to learn from others, can brainstorm ideas, and have someone who understands your entrepreneurial journey.

7. Network

Having connections is like having gold, especially in the entrepreneur world. A person in your network can lead to speaking opportunities, clients, mentors and more. Be sure to spend time networking and making connections!

8. Learn and Research

When you’re starting out, there is a lot you don’t know. When you’re five years in, there is still a lot left to learn. Always spend time learning about your field and researching new trends in your industry. The more you know, the more room to grow!

9. Work on Your Mindset

One of the biggest roadblocks to success is our mindset. Without a healthy state of mind, we tend to stifle our growth with doubt. When going into business for yourself, the mindset is the one thing you’ll constantly have to work on to survive the challenges of being an entrepreneur to be able to break barriers, shatter doubt, and overcome obstacles.

10. Get Help

As a business owner, you’re taking on a lot of roles. You’re the accountant, salesperson, marketer and everything else. However, you don’t have to do it all alone. Outsourcing and hiring out can help fast-track your success instead of trying to learn it all yourself.

While starting and running a business is not an easy task, the outcome and rewards can make it all worth it. Let’s work on getting you to those rewards together.

6 thoughts on “10 Tips to start and run your side business”

This is a great list. So many people jump in with no plan and they don’t get anywhere because they waste so much time. I especially like “Set Goals” and “Manage Your Finances” since I’ve talked with people who think that a side hustle makes it ok to wing it.

Nope!! It’s STILL a business.

Seriously, these are fantastic tips! WIth a little time and effort, I think anyone can get their side business started the right way so they ultimately replace their 9 to 5 income.

Connecting with others is so important, especially if you’re working from home online, and it is often overlooked. Having even just a few connections can make a huge difference in your mindset and how you feel overall.